Clinical Thermography - A GENTLE OUNCE OF PREVENTION
With the incidence of breast cancer on the rise prevention is now considered more valuable than cure. More and more women are now including the option of a thermogram in their annual check-up.
Thermography can detect any inflammatory condition and is ideal for monitoring breast health.
I believe in thermography, not only because it does not involve painful compression of breast tissue, which can lead to a lethal spread of cancerous cells should they exist, but more importantly because it does not radiate the breasts.
Breast Thermography is a Non-Contact, Non-Invasive, Non-Radioactive Imaging technology that works under the laws of physics of thermodynamics and electromagnetic energy. Basically, all this means is that the concept of thermography is actual, proven science and physics that is being used in almost every aspect of our everyday lives whether we know it or not.
There can be no dispute that the science of thermography is true and solid. Thermography has proven to be invaluable in almost every application that the analysis of temperature function is important. Why should medicine be any different? The use of thermography in breast imaging is basically to view the thermal patterns and temperatures of the breast and surrounding relevant areas of a woman’s body. That is it.
It is NOT used to find cancer!
Breast Thermography is a test of function and not structure. This means that it detects how the body is reacting to certain conditions. It does not detect actual structural problems such as tumors, lumps, cysts, fibroadenomas, etc. Rather, it sees how the body is reacting to these structural problems. Or in other words, Breast Thermography looks for signs of abnormal breast function.
Thermography is in essence similar to the common practice of taking a patient’s temperature as one of their vital signs. Taking your temperature does not tell what disease is present; it only tells you that there is a functional problem that needs to be investigated more deeply. However, an increase in core temperature is often an early warning sign that some sort of internal condition exists. Breast Thermography works in the same manner and with the same philosophy.
Breast Thermography is not a stand-alone test and you will most likely have to use other tests such as, ultrasound mammography or MRI to investigate further or confirm what is being seen with thermography.
WHY SHOULD WOMEN HAVE THERMOGRAMS?
Breast Thermography will look for signs that there might be an abnormal function or reaction of your breasts. Identifying these signs and knowing about them will give you a better understanding of what is happening with your breast health. By understanding this concept, you can now use Breast Thermography as a monitoring, early detection, and prevention tool.
WHEN SHOULD WOMEN BEGIN WITH THERMOGRAMS?
Your breasts are a window into your health. Thermograms ideally should begin at around age 20 to 25 when the breasts are fully developed and be monitored every 2 – 3 years for changes in the blood vessels, especially if a woman chooses to use birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. Women who notice changes in their breasts should consider a thermogram as the start to the investigation process.
Thermography provides active surveillance.
Don’t wait for symptoms before you start to pay attention to your breast health.
PROFILE - LYNNE BOYES
Lynne first became aware of thermal imaging in the 1990’s after reading about the technology in a British Sporting Horse magazine. The concept of using “heat “mapping to pinpoint inflammation, and with Lynne’s background in anatomy and physiology, clinical thermal imaging just made so much sense to her. Lynne trained and was certified as a thermographer in 2011 through FLIR’s Infrared Training Centre based in Sweden. In order to retain her certification, Lynne is required to be re-tested every five years and to submit a portfolio of evidence of continuous practice in her field of thermography. She was successfully re-certified in 2018.
Lynne operates her practice mainly from Weleda Pharmacy in Pineslopes Centre Fourways. Her mission is to empower women with important information that will motivate them to make healthy life-style choices in the hope of preventing disease or alerting them to the development of disease.
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